[hider=Age of Epoch][center][img]http://content.wallpapers-room.com/resolutions/1680x1050/A/Wallpapers-room_com___A_New_Dawn_by_Burning-Liquid_1680x1050.jpg[/img][/center][hr][hr][center][img]http://i.imgur.com/pYk54lT.png[/img][hr][hr][color=crimson]MANKIND[/color] had long left the boundaries of Earth, spreading amongst the stars into hundreds of colonies. The blossom of civilization had open from the womb of Gaia and entrenched several nearby galaxies. With the power and progress of further technology, ships and stations began to sustain actual societies in the cold depths of space. Planets were now irrelevant for living in anymore yet still just as desired. A dream come true, the end goal come to task and with it, a freedom of ideas and foundations could begin anew in a infinity of space. [b]The only downfalls is that what Earth released wasn't human.[/b] The message was loud and clear, the people were suffering due to things beyond their control. If people were to be independent, they must be biologically capable of doing so. The oppressive hegemony of Earth had been imprinted on their minds and those who weren't oppressed were stepped on by fighting factions and civil wars. [center][img]http://cdn.paper4pc.com/images/cyborg-and-woman-face-to-face-wallpaper-1.jpg[/img][/center] The new transhumanist generation begun, heeding stories of alien creatures and horrific designs. It was a generation meant to keep people human while wiping out the weaknesses of their birth: Genetic defects, fatigue, atrophy, dementia, cancer, ineffective immune system. All of these issues and more were slowly phased out. Line by line. This is another end of an era, on this day. The first of a final line of human is released. The EPOCH human wakes up in odd times. Aliens, cyborgs, radical geneticists, Earth left for dead and the dead come back to life. Former lines, whom had grown outside of the Purity Project Union branch of the government look upon you with Envy. Not human, yet obsolete. What will they do now that the EPOCH is here? [s][u]------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/u][/s][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/ME6e2ls.png[/img][hr][hr][/center][indent]+ 340 Planets registered with the Galactic Retention Brance, many more unknown or ignored. + Terran Unity act as basic law enforcement, though despire their power and territory they opt not to step on any toes and intervene little in planetside affairs. + Transhumanism is a way of life. A scale is used to determine transhumanism: 1 being a pure, natural human and 9 being the latest and greatest EPOCH human available.[/indent] [hider] Humans dominate the galaxy, controlling 340 planets directly from the Galactic Border Retention Branch of the government. Above Stratosphere war capable planets are only listed, meaning. Those that can mount a space navy of 35 . Outside of this registry many, many human colonies ranging from the thousands litter the galaxy. Unnoticed by the Border Retention or fitting small colonies and alternate life styles. The effort to keep this many different civilizations under control is minimal. Although the Terran Unity is the most resourceful and territory powerful, it is well aware that if it were to anger people it would be swept away quickly by the many powers inside and out. In essence. it is a minarchy (minimal government), despite its bulky military and police power, regulatory it exists in a "sheriff of the town" basis in star systems and states/colonies expected to handle their own problems planet side. It provides relief, acts a medium for duties (such as creating the next human line and raising them) and defends the human drawn borders. Most of its power is cluttered in the SOL system and around, it military is divided to meager squads for patrol away from that. Humans themselves exists in lines of genetic alteration. The idea of this transhumanism is to retain central human qualities while removing flaws: Retaining overall design, not "adding" things but rather assuring what's there functions better. This line exist from 1 to 9 1 being pure human and 9 being the latest batch, the EPOCH human who is consider the end game of this line. Each line of human are capable of resisting more, lasting longer without basic nutrition and exercise. Enduring emotional and mental stress. The EPOCH human is never hungry, never thirsty, can run/walk indefinitely. They require only a few hours of sleep a month in total. Genetic flaws such as blindness and brain damage are purged entirely. All lines are made and raised in the government care till 20-with some being shipped off to some factions in order to diversify perspective-after that, each generation after is a by product of line and interline breeding. The issue of interline breeding is one of great debate and some, from both sides. Consider it immoral: The supremacist who see it as backpedaling work and Conservatives who see things closer to original humans as sacred. [/hider] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/NOXqvvV.png[/img][/center][indent]+ Cyborgs are nearly entirely robotic bar the human brain implanted within. + Aliens and pirates often convert people into cyborgs to be sold as slaves, as well as to assure total control. + Cyborg home planet is a digital utopia. Those that decide to leave take the standardised copm41 unti, appropriate for both battle and social scenarios.[/indent] [hider] Genetic alteration wasn't the only means of transhumanism and decades before that augmentation and mechanical implements were a faster, more understood way of changing the human condition. Cyborgs are almost entirely robotic besides the brain that is placed within the standard issue body they are given. How people become cyborgs is varied, many do willing arrange their transformation while others are forcefully converted. Despite the fears that transhumanist (the term now used only for cyborgs as line humans are seen as "real" humans) will take and transform people like an old doctor who episode of the Cybermen. The reality is that only 2 of the 7 planets owned by transhumanist have mandated conversion and even then this isn't applied beyond their own citizens. Many are converted by alien and human pirates, to be sold as labor slaves. Controlled augmentation being a favorite method of assured control, other times minor renegade ideologues will try to force members into conversion and of course, transmitting a human brain to a cyborg and making the corpse vanish is a good way crooked medical companies get easy organ market material. Cyborgs exist in a digital utopia on their own home planet. The actual surface is almost entirely consumed with generators, production equipment and various massive data banks and defense modules. In terms of population and territory, the transhumanist threat is considered small although these planets are productive, military powerhouses. Capable of defending themselves against focused multi-factioned attacks. Cyborgs who come from them leave of their own accord. Taking the standard issue, state provided copm41 unit. The same unit used for work both military and public outside the digital. [/hider] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/Eq8EZ1X.png[/img][/center] [hider] Clones, typically of the line 2-6 are mass produced. Unethical labor for the powers that be. While outlawed in many civilizations, primarily the Border Retention the use of them are still heavy in some areas. Primarily in the People Dominion( communist sector of 12 planets) where clones make up almost the entirety of the labor force. Living without pay and in many cases forced to work in hazardous jobs that break many human rights. Many clones die on the plantation in grizzly ways or are executed by the on site security team that looms overall clone job sites. The apartments they live in are glorified closest in many cases and the story of their abuse is ignored by the media outside and actively suppressed and hidden inside the People's Dominion sector. Clones who escape the Dominion find they are not overly welcome by the outside world either who are uncomfortable with the idea of replicating people but are granted political asylum and normally benefit of many charities who label them as refugees. Clones have the first name of their origin "John" but their number after "John045" those that aren't slave labor are made purely to experiment and test on, normally with highly illegal practices. There is almost no life for a clone unless they escape from the Dominion, upon which they are regarded as hit targets for spreading the truth to the outside world about their treatment. [/hider] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/aBw9hCs.png[/img][/center] [hider] Aliens do exist, but are marginally out numbered by humans. A threat so looming over them that most of the alien species from all ages of civilizations have grouped up to a small unity called the Collision. The Collision territory is still vastly out powered by most of the bigger factions of the human world, many of them buying technology and products from human stations and worlds around them. Only a handful of these species were actually space ready when the humans met them, uplifting as many none humans from tribes, medieval and Victorian worlds in a desperate attempt to protect what little possible potential allies outside of humans they could get. There are a total of 47 races in this galactic project, a super state that over rides their own histories and cultures. There is no specific one race flag and theme anymore. Just the Collision, aliens that don't join are usually left lagging behind technologically and can only buy meager booms from humans. The united aliens politically and economically cripple and cap said independents until they join. Opinions on humans by those in this sphere is normally skewed to racism and a favoritism to non humans, many feeling that humanity has taken away their birthright of expanding to the stars by getting "greedy" although a large part of this is a constant stream of censored and tailored media designed to propagandize them for a potential alien on human conflict that the political leaders are paranoid about. Aliens come in many shapes, many sizes, many abilities, many cultures and many conditions but ultimately their fear and resentment of humans could understood as they are behind them in almost all ways. Barely keeping up with space ships and most of the time arming themselves with human goods. Defectors however are not uncommon but hidden in the crowd, readily hunted by media who regard them as helping potential "oppressors and supremacists" human opinion on aliens is one of sway, they don't regard them as a heavy threat but do get tired of being made a villain. Stations near these territories feel the sting of alien gangs, random mobs and alien only areas that harass human to get out to the point of violence, even though they are on "human" stations. Said stations, not always actually lead by humans anymore. Making aliens races will be up to players. Although the rules will be they are behind humans in genetic and augmented items. No telepathy for "supernatural powers" for each benefit physically (acid spit. hardened shells ectr) they will have to adopt one counter, negative trait. Personal alien history is one to be explored in character although sending key lore bits to me like conflicts with humans or the collision is encouraged. [/hider] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/w3QS9qq.png[/img][/center] [hider] Necromancers exist, well. In parody. They are called necromancers now but before that they were a league of engineers who did research into the concept of the soul, when they found out that the soul actually existed such knowledge was used in order to store it. Calling back long dead people from up to a 100 years ago in sensitive, expensive equipment. Much like cyborgs, the Revived are mechanical with bits of their remains still visible and integrated into the device. This, according to the Necromancers gives the soul a stronger "orbit" although Revived with no remains have exist in rarity. At the moment the oldest Revived is 100 years dead but technology is being pushed to roll back the time even more. Revived come from all backgrounds and scenarios, however many do not remember what happened after they died but universally the topics is one of great trauma, many having vague dreams about that leap from strange, ethereal tales of the future and the past to rotting hellscapes and blissful worlds to the pure unfathomable. Some are forcefully returned to life as a part of bigger, colony based idea to try and rebuild the population with skilled labor. Some purely believe in bringing whoever they can back to life, seeing it as "saving" someone in the same manner a doctor would. Sometimes people are bought back for dubious means or by family or even themselves who arrange it ahead of time. The procedure is highly expensive and even leave rich man near bankrupt in many cases. The laws regarding the dead is sketchy, many cases crooked and greedy states take what flesh they can from the dead in the form of money and goods if they don't have a legally binding will, even if it is written that such person will be revived. Unlike cyborgs. Revived are very vulnerable, while made of metal their components are sensitive. Normally relying on their high experience and already known skills to make up for their physical weakness. This race identity and law is vague, flip flopping from having to sign up as a new person due to being technically dead. Other times they are not welcome at all or simply don't care. [/hider] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EPISODIC RP: Basically what this means is that in the RP universe. This will occur in episodes. Time skips will happen but only at the "pause" or end of an event. In this case how your character ages will effect you and sometimes your character may die from old age unless you take actions such as augmentation or go into stasis. If you're character dies via old age you may create a decedent from them or a new one. Every time you get past an episode, save someone, pass a specific challenge. You get a point. This point can be used, if you like. To state things you've done between then and now. Points make up notable things you've done. Such as get your own ship, then another for upgrading it. Buying augmentations or even forming a group. Points are worth more for the time skip breaks however, such points can be used normally. to buy goods or increase certain aspects of your character like a normal RPG. Although their value is GREATLY reduced but you can spend them immediately. EG: in time skip, you could use 2 points to buy a middle class ship, then 1 to learn to drive it. In RP this all together could cost 10. CREDITS: points are interchangeable for market goods and talents. CREDITS however can only be used for market goods and services. You gain credits your way. Some past back stories may grant you more credits by reason such as (being a long term criminal or drug seller) but could cause more issues like being on certain hit lists. Unliked by factions of association. Having enemies before you even start. In terms of abilities. You won't be as defined by your learned stats than by your race and things you can buy. You can't arbitrarily increase your "intelligence" score, although this will happen rarely on its own. You can buy augments, equipment and tools that may aid you in completing task and computing them however. Combat will be more about what you prepare and equip and how you use it. Your stats will play a part but not as big. ------------ There are many factions. But this is a taster. Let me, motherfucking. slide the slottery machine and her what you guys got the beepers for. I'll open up an OOC with all the info on everything.[/hider]